Naruto 1. Our Peace

**Hey there! :D Alright, so this is a sequel, in case you didn't know! So if you haven't read Winter's Eyes, then you should read that one first, otherwise you won't really understand this one, haha ^^ Anyways, I debated whether or not I should write a sequel, so I decided to leave it up to you guys... A lot of you said you would like a sequel, but some said they liked the way it was left off... So if you guys like this one, I'll continue writing it :) Anyways,, I hope you like it!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Hinata felt a small smile grace her lips. The sun shone high in the sky, warming her face and a breeze swam through her hair. Peace. It had been a while since she had felt this way; actually, she could barely remember a time when she had felt like this.<p>

"Hey Hinata, don't stare into the sun! You got your eyesight back; you don't want to lose it again!" Hinata's eyes widened and she turned to see her friend, Sakura, smiling at her. Sakura was beautiful, with short, strange pink hair and sweet, shining green eyes. They had become close friends since they had met last year, after one of their friends Ino died. Hinata offered her a smile back.

"I-I was just l-looking at the b-birds… They're so happy…" Sakura smiled and came to stand beside her, looking up into the sky where, indeed, birds twittered and soared above their heads. Her smile widened.

"I wonder…" Hinata turned to her and saw the far-away look in Sakura's eyes.

"S-Sakura?" The pink haired girl's eyes turned somber.

"I wonder if Ino would have liked this… She absolutely loved the spring… She always said it was the best time for her flowers, the ones at her mom's shop." Hinata's eyes softened. After Ino's passing, Sakura had taken her job at Mrs. Yamanaka, Ino's mother's, flower shop.

"I'm s-sure she would have, S-Sakura," Hinata assured her softly. Sakura turned to her and smiled gratefully.

"Well, at least she's at peace now." Hinata's eyes still gazed at her softly, and she put a hesitant hand on her shoulder.

"I-I'm sure she would w-want us all to f-find our own peace…" Sakura smiled at her and giggled a little.

"You're starting to sound like her," she laughed, and Hinata smiled.

"Hey, Hinata! Sakura!" The two girls turned to see Naruto running towards them, and Sasuke walking calmly with his hands in his pockets behind him. Reaching them, Naruto grinned largely and caught Hinata's hand, turning her into a small twirl. She squeaked and crashed into him, and Naruto laughed.

"Hey guys," he greeted, grinning. Hinata, her face bright red, gave him a small smile back before ducking her head. Sasuke nodded to Hinata and slipped his hand into Sakura, who smiled at him.

"You guys ready to go?" Naruto asked, his smile wide, "Kiba and Shino'll be waiting for us. I haven't heard from the others, though."

The other three nodded and they started walking back the way they'd come. Hinata felt Naruto watching her and her face heated up. Finally she met his gaze questioningly.

"N-Naruto…? Is something w-wrong?" Naruto smiled at her and shook his head.

"Nothing, nothing. I was just thinking… Things have become kind of… peaceful, haven't they?" It was quiet, and the other three nodded in agreement. The trees and grass swayed in the breeze, and they were left in companionably silence that was only broken when Sasuke spoke.

"There'll be new kids today, though," he started lazily, meeting Naruto's eyes with a meaningful look, "So it may not stay like that." Naruto grinned and shrugged.

"Well then, we'll just have to help them find their own peace!"

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><p><strong>Sooo...? :) I hope you liked it! It will get better, and longer, I promise! The others will come in later... Soon, most likely, and there will be a few new peoples... Anyhoosers ^^ Review and Stuff! BYESSSS!<strong>


	2. Interesting

**Hey again! Soooooo ... I wanted to write more, so I did :) This one is kind of like a flashback, but I promise they won't all be like this, haha! Anyways... I hope you guys like it! Any suggestions and things are welcome! Umm... hmmm... trying to think of something else to say...well, I can't think of anything :P So anyways, Read and**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>Bzz…Bzz Bzz….Bzzz….<em>

The halls were alive and buzzing with the sounds of people talking and giggling and fussing. All of this drowned out the sound of small, light footsteps slowly tapping on the concrete floor. A small girl carefully made her way around bumbling bees and whispering wasps, trying to ignore the strange looks she got from other teens and hurried through the crowd. It was her second year here; last year had been… interesting, to say the least. For one, she'd actually gained _friends_. And someone who might be… more. Also, she had regained her sight; now she refused to let anything pass her by.

Just then she saw a form break through the throng, charging passed the hissing stingers of others and breeze right past her. Her eyes widened and she turned to see the short, red-haired girl disappear into the crowd just as soon as she had come in. She frowned a bit and turned back to see a few older girls snickering and glancing off to where the small girl had disappeared to, and she automatically knew what had happened.

Hesitating only for a moment, she stopped and turned around, politely forcing her way through the vine and tangles of the jungle of hallway. Suddenly the bell rang harshly and she flinched. The crowd surged just then, and the small girl was tossed around as people haphazardly shoved each other out of the way, rushing off to their classes. She crashed to the ground, landing on her arm, and heard laughing before the hallway was completely empty.

Lifting herself up, she glanced around the empty hallway and stood slowly. As she started to gather her things, she heard sniffling somewhere nearby and stood. Walking around a corner, she spotted the younger girl from before, crouched against the lockers with her face buried in her knees. She took a hesitant step forward and her eyes softened, seeing the girl's shoulders shaking.

"A-Are you alright?" The girl jumped and lifted her tear-streaked face, her pretty brown eyes wide. Immediately she started wiping at her face, and the older girl smiled a little, kneeling in front of her. The girl flinched a bit, and the other girl's eyes softened.

"I'm n-not going to hurt y-you. Are you alright?" Hesitantly the small one nodded, and the other smiled before standing and holding out a hand. The girl took it and stood.

"I'm Hinata," the older on introduced with a smile, "It's nice to meet you." The girl nodded again, and Hinata tilted her head a bit at her.

"W-What's your name? I-If you don't mind, o-of course…" The girl's eyes fell to the floor and she shook her head, touching her throat lightly. Hinata's eyes turned somber.

"Hey… d-do you want to s-sit with me a-at lunch?" The girl looked up at her in surprise before nodding a bit, a ghost of a smile on her face. Hinata smiled, also.

"W-Well, we'd better get to class b-before we're l-late…" The younger girl nodded again and they started walking down the hallway together in comfortable silence.

_Yes…_ Hinata thought with a small smile, _this year will definitely be interesting. _

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><p><strong>There we go :) Hope you liked it! Umm... hmm... the others will come in later, promise! Any suggestions on new characters and things are welcomed,,,, and a bit loved ^^ sooo yeah! Review por favor, laterrrr! :D :D :D<strong>


	3. Family

**Hey there! :P I finished writing this chapter soon after I finished the last one, but I waited to upload it... But it's been a while since I updated, so I figured you guys deserved another chapter :P ^^ anyways, I know this story is going to be a bit different than the first one, but I hope you like it! Any suggestions for characters or couples or anything else is welcome! :) This chapter is a little long, but there's so much stuff happening in it, I don't want to leave any characters out, and... yeah... :) I hope you like it, and I hope you all had a good thanksgiving! ^^**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Naruto walked down the hallway towards the cafeteria slowly, his hands in his pockets and his mind far off. It hadn't seemed that long ago… When he had just been an outcast that everyone hated, one that no one knew the true secret of. But now he actually had friends who knew and… understood him.<p>

His heart ached a bit when he thought that it hadn't been that long since Ino had passed, either. It still brought tears to his eyes when he thought about it, but he didn't want to let her memory go, so he thought about her as often as he could.

Suddenly a burst of noise assaulted his ears, letting him know he had reached the cafeteria, and flinched a bit. As he moved towards the back door, someone suddenly rammed into his shoulder, sending him stumbling. Naruto turned to see a younger boy with short red hair and cold, angry blue eyes shove past him without a second glance. He blinked a bit and shook his head, continuing on his way towards the back door.

Naruto was used to people running into him, intentionally or otherwise, but what had that boy been so upset about? He tried to push this from his mind, deciding that if he saw the boy again that he'd ask him about it.

Finally Naruto reached the back door and pushed it open, smiling as the sun immediately greeted him and a cool breeze pushed his hair back. He closed the door behind him and approached his group of friends, plopping down in his usual spot next to Hinata.

"Hey Naruto," Sakura greeted, and Sasuke grunted. They all greeted him in turn, making Naruto grin, and he turned to the quiet girl at his side. Hinata's hair had grown a bit since winter, but just a bit, and he was glad; though he knew she would probably look beautiful with it long, he loved it short.

"Hey, Hinata," he grinned. Hinata blushed and smiled a bit, meeting Naruto's sparkling blue eyes briefly.

"H-Hello, Naruto…" It was then that Naruto noticed something; a small brown-haired girl sitting next to Hinata, her head ducked low. Naruto blinked.

"Eh…" Shino was the first to notice his confusion and spoke in his usual monotone voice.

"This is a freshman Hinata brought to sit with us." At them being mentioned, both Hinata and the younger girl looked up. Hinata nodded a bit.

"T-This is Matsuri. She j-just moved here." Naruto turned to the other girl and grinned.

"Nice to meet ya!" The younger girl, Matsuri, smiled at him and nodded, but didn't say anything. Naruto didn't comment on it, guessing that she was just shy like Hinata was, and instead started up a conversation with Lee. Their group had grown so much since the first time Naruto and Hinata had sat out here, not expecting to become as close as they had. Naruto hadn't known what to expect, really, but it sure wasn't that he'd have a huge group of friends this year that he loved and trusted so much.

Their newest edition lately had been Temari, a spunky girl who'd recently been dating Shikamaru, though it seemed they argued more than anything else. Still, there was a certain feeling around the group… Like family.

"Naruto? You alright?" Naruto was brought back from his thoughts to realize that he had been staring off, smiling. Everyone was looking at him expectantly, some (mostly Hinata) a bit worried. Naruto grinned and threw an arm around her shoulders, making her jump, her face turn bright red. This made him smile even more.

"Greater than ever!"

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><p>Matsuri eyed the group curiously. It was… strange. She's always seen groups of friends hang out together- she'd never been in one, but she saw them- but none of them seemed quite like this one. She couldn't describe it, but the way they looked at each other… Someone could have sworn that they'd been through hell and back together. Matsuri couldn't comprehend it. There were so many questions she wanted to ask them; why were they so close?<p>

What had happened that made them look at each other and speak to each other in such away? It was so… delicate, yet comfortable. As if they were all a big family, one with strong bonds that no one could pull apart. Matsuri gazed at all of them; the blonde one who she quickly found out was Naruto by the way Hinata had talked about him, the one called Kiba, and the weird one named Lee were all loud and obnoxious, yet the quiet ones like the broody Sasuke and Shikamaru didn't seemed to be bothered at all.

They even contributed to the conversation every once in a while. Matsuri's eyes dropped to her lap, fiddling with a crease in her jeans. What would she say, if she could say anything at all? Would any of it be worth hearing?

Tears pricked her eyes, but she forced them back; on her very first day, someone had invited her to sit with them and their friends instead of pushing her or teasing her, and she refused to look like a fool in front of them. After all, just because they were family didn't mean they accepted new members.

Hinata noticed Matsuri's melancholy look and her eyes softened. She nudged her a bit and Matsuri looked up at her. She gave her a small smile, and Matsuri gave a tiny, slightly forced one back. Naruto noticed this exchange out of the corner of his eye and let it slip to the back of his mind.

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><p>After lunch Naruto caught up with Hinata, taking her hand in his and making her blush. Ever since last year, they had been extremely close, and Naruto was glad that she had stayed the same; despite having her eyesight back or them growing closer, she still kept her nervous habits and blushes that always made him smile. Naruto grinned at her and she gave a shy smile back.<p>

"So, where did you meet that Matsuri girl?" Hinata's eyes dropped to the floor and she frowned a bit.

"In t-the hallway… S-She was running a-away from a couple girls…" Naruto frowned a bit. He and Hinata both knew how cruel other people could be, especially kids their own age.

"So, is that why she was so quiet? I don't think she said a word all lunch." Hinata's eyes turned somber and she shook her head.

"She can't speak," she muttered, looking him in the eye. Naruto's eyes widened, before turning sad, also.

"Oh…" It was silent for a moment before Naruto suddenly jumped and grinned, making Hinata jump, also.

"Well then, maybe she can talk in other ways!" he exclaimed, "Maybe she knows sign language or a code, what's it called? The ones the marines and stuff use? It has dots I think…" Hinata listened to Naruto ramble on and on, a small smile on her face. Despite how strange and dysfunctional all of their friends were, they all seemed to fit together, truly like one big family. She sighed a bit, her mind drawing back to Matsuri. Hopefully, if they tried, they might just be able to make her a part of it.

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><p><strong>Sooo...? Whatja think? ;) Again if you have any suggestions or anything, feel free to let me know! I've been struggling with this one a bit lately, but I think I finally got it down! :P ^^ sooo... yeah... OH! I almost forgot! :D I went to auditions for the play Annie and got callbacks for Annie herself! ^O^ it's my first time ever acting, so I was excited ^^ I didn't get her, though : I got the little orphan girl, Molly ^^ I am, after all, the shortest person that tried out... -_- the other girl who got called back for Annie was also really good, she's been in theatre a long time! o.O anyhoosers, so I might start to get busy with that, so beware! But I'll try to write and update as much as I can! ^^ Review and shtuffs, see ya later!**


	4. Weird

**Hola! :D how's it goin'? :) alrighty then... sooo next chapter! It's a bit short, way shorter than the other one... I know the story's goin' kinda slow right now, but it will pick up soon, promise :P anyhowsers... suggestions, suggestions, suggestions, people! :P anyways,,,,,**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Matsuri shuffled through the halls carefully, making sure not to run into anyone or get in the way. She knew she shouldn't be surprised, but the teen couldn't help but wonder how this school could be exactly like her last one. There were the groups of people sectioned off together, usually refusing anyone in other than their friends, and those who rejected other people completely, namely her.<p>

Matsuri hadn't been able to take her mind off of that shy girl, Hinata, and her friends from yesterday. It was so weird. Why had they seemed so different? They seemed so open to each other, but Matsuri felt as if she were missing something big. Just then a boy rammed into her shoulder and she jumped, some of her things clattering to the ground.

"Hey!" the boy shouted, glaring at her, "Watch where you're going!" Matsuri ducked her head and bowed a bit in apology, but he frowned at her.

"You usually say you're sorry when you run into someone, you know!" Matsuri's face burned as she shook her head and pointed at her throat. The guy gave her a weird look before grumbling a 'whatever' and walking away to his friends. Matsuri's cheeks had grown hot from shame and she knelt down to gather her things, keeping her head down to hide the burning tears gathering in her eyes. Just as she reached out to grab one of her books, another hand came out of nowhere and snatched it up.

Matsuri blinked and stood, readying herself to meet another person that might throw her things in the trash, or maybe talk to her in that sickening voice, pretending they felt bad for her when really she was a charity case. Matsuri didn't have time to scold herself for such a harsh thought when her eyes met those of a light blue and a shock of red hair. The boy who had grabbed her book was pale as a ghost, with a thin face and unreadable expression.

"Here," he said dully, his hand still outstretched with her book in its grasp. Matsuri snapped back to reality then and took the book, shifting her things so that she could carry it comfortably. She looked up to try to thank the boy without words to see no one, and when she turned around she could see a flash of red disappearing into the crowd. Matsuri blinked a moment before continuing to walk. Who was that boy? She thought she may have seen him before… Huh. Thing here were just plain… weird.

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><p>Gaara walked calmly down the hallway, not bothering to take notice of the people who swerved out of the way at his intense gaze. He didn't really intend to drive people away all the time, but he couldn't say he minded it. His thoughts trailed back to that girl from before, the silent one.<p>

He'd seen everything; the oblivious guy, the girl's panic. Some people were such idiots. Gaara had definitely seen the girl around the first day walking with another quiet girl and running away while some other mean ones teased her, and it was painfully obvious that she was mute.

Were people really that oblivious that they couldn't see that? Or were they just insensitive enough that they didn't care? His older sister always told him that he shouldn't think like this, that he should keep an open mind, but he couldn't help it. Sometimes he wondered if everyone was really that stupid. _Then again,_ he thought,_ there was that quiet girl…_ The dark haired one who he'd seen walking with the mute girl had been with her all day, without any hesitance, it seemed. Not a lot of people did that, and when they did, it wasn't usually genuine.

Gaara knew from experience; being new at school, people leave you alone completely or they ask you to their table, ask you a few questions, before completely ignoring you and the next day or a few days later, they stop talking to you completely and you're back to where you started.

But that girl, and the ones she hung out with… The boy with the whiskers for scars, the pink haired one with the sad eyes… They were different. They all seemed to have something dark to them, yet looked so trusting. The only word Gaara could really use to express how he saw them was… weird. Well, it was the same group his sister hung out with. Maybe he could ask her.

_Of course,_ he thought darkly, _they may want to know about me in return… And then things will turn disastrous for sure._ But for now, he tried not to think about that, and instead continued to muse about the strange people his sister had decided to hang out with, and the weirdness of it all.

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><p><strong>Here we are! I hope you liked it :) Like I said, it's kinda slow right now, I know, but it's because there's so many people characters that I needwant to get in, I don't wanna leave anybody out :P Anyway, again, any suggestions are welcome! :D Umm... hmmm... I wonder what Gaara's secret is o.O will we ever find out? Maybe! ^O^ anyways, Review and stuffs, byeees!**


	5. Past

**Back! :D hey hey hey! I am le TIRED DX butttt that's a good thing, cuz that's when the MAGIC happens! *O* kinda... :) ughhhh I need to go to sleep... alright, wellll this one's longer than the last one... butttt yeah :) The chapter's length is probably going to vary a lot in this one, because there's so much I want to share with yall ^^ but anywayss... Suggestions are welcome! I hope you like it!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Shikamaru glanced at the unusually quiet girl beside him. It was near the beginning of school and almost everyone had already gone inside, but he and Temari continued to sit on the bench outside, staring up at the clouds. This bench… it was the very one he and Ino had sat on, when she told him about her cloud theory and her new metaphor, before… Shikamaru tried not to think about it too much, but it was hard; it hadn't been that long, and her memory was everywhere. Finally he sighed digging his hands into his pockets.<p>

"Alright, tell me… What is it?" Temari glanced at him and sighed, also, crossing her arms.

"Nothing," she mumbled. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her, letting her know that her lie wasn't the least believable. She glared at him for a second before shifting in her seat, frowning.

"Fine, it's my little brother." Shikamaru tilted his head back and closed his eyes, letting the sun warm his face.

"Gaara, right?" He opened one eye briefly to see Temari nodding her head before closing it again.

"He just came here, you know, and I'm worried about him…" Though Temari was tough and yelled a lot, she still cared. That was one of the reasons Shikamaru didn't find her so much of a drag as other girls.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," he replied lazily, confidently. He had no way of knowing, of course, but he doubted anything would happen to the boy with someone like Temari protecting him. He heard Temari sigh and opened his eyes, seeing the doubt in hers. Shikamaru stood and held his hand out to her, and Temari looked up at him in mild surprise.

"If you want, any of our friends could try and help him out if he needs it." Temari shook her head and took his hand, standing.

"The thing is," she muttered, her eyes meeting his, "He's had a rough past. I'm not sure he would take it even if you offered it to him."

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><p>Naruto walked down the hall slowly, at ease. Ever since he'd gained friends, there seemed to be something… surreal, about… well, everything. It was as if nothing could get to him, not even the insults people still threw at him because of what they thought he'd done in the past.<p>

It was strange. To think that his past was pretty far back, but all of it seemed as if it were yesterday. Just then someone bumped lightly into his shoulder and Naruto turned to see Sasuke walking beside him, staring straight ahead. Naruto grinned.

"Hey, Sasuke," he greeted cheerfully, "where's Sakura?" Sasuke grunted, digging his hands into his pockets.

"Dobe," he greeted back, "She had tutorials for school." Naruto raised his eyebrows.

"Already? It's only, like, the third day of school!" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"They aren't for her, they're for Lee."

"Oh." As if that explained it all. Which, it did. They all knew their friend Lee's story, and though it was sad, he tried to make the best of it by dressing up in honor of his late father-figure and sensei Gai, though it did make him seem a little strange, more so than his personality did.

"What about Hinata?" Sasuke asked, bringing Naruto out of his thoughts. Naruto shrugged and frowned.

"She said she woke up late and told me to just come here so I wasn't late. I told her I would wait for her anyway, but she seemed to really want me to just come to school without her." Naruto didn't have to say what he was feeling or thinking, as Sasuke just shook his head and sighed, giving him a slight bump of the shoulder.

"She'll be alright," he assured him, "We all know how strong she is. If it continues, you can always ask her about it. She trusts you more than anyone, you know." Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair before looking up at Sasuke and grinning.

"Alright, then! Let's get to class! Oh, hey I didn't tell you! I found out about this bug that spits acid, and-" To anyone else, it might have seemed like Sasuke was extremely bored and not listening, but only those trained to read Sasuke, such as his friends, would have been able to spot the ghost of a smile on his lips as he listened to his friend ramble on.

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><p>Hinata took a deep breath and moved her hair out of her face, trying to gather her things. She was running late, later than any other time, and she could hear Neji complaining downstairs about her taking too long. The girl glanced in the mirror and immediately looked away again, rubbing her hands over her face to rid them of any stray tear tracks. She hadn't told anyone, her brother or Naruto included, about the dreams. Nightmares, actually. They were… simple. Someone might laugh at them if they didn't know her past, why it would terrify her so much.<p>

She shook her head and slung her bag over her shoulder, racing for the stairs. Hinata's past would always be a part of her, as would Naruto's, and Sasuke's, Lee's, Sakura's. They would never go away, and none of them could be forgotten. Hopefully, though, Hinata thought, her past wouldn't completely consume her.

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><p>Matsuri calmly strolled towards the school, letting her mind wonder. They wondered to the nice girl, Hinata, and her friend, Naruto. She was pretty sure they were dating, but they never did anything obvious like kiss in public or anything.<p>

Matsuri couldn't get the scars on the boy's face out of her mind. All of their other friends seemed to ignore them- did they know where they came from? Matsuri doubted she would ever find out, especially if she couldn't even ask the question to him directly, and she was positive none of them learned sign language.

The small freshman let out a sigh, shifting the bag on her shoulder and the books in her arms, thinking. It was most likely a bit part of his past, she decided. But what was it? All of them seemed to have some dark secret they were keeping, something that had happened to them before.

What was it? Matsuri was grateful that Hinata had invited her to sit with them, but she felt so… disconnected. Maybe she would never find out, and she would just fade into the back ground in silence as usual. Just then she passed someone lying down on a bench and halted, tilting her head slightly. She immediately recognized him as the boy from yesterday who had picked up her notebook in the hallway, though now his eyes were closed as he lay on his back, sleeping.

His chest rose and fell peacefully, his strange red hair framing his face in a strange yet almost charming way. Matsuri blinked and glanced around before taking a step closer. Once she was almost an inch away, she hesitated before stretching out a small hand and poking the boy in the chest. She retracted her hand quickly, but the boy only shifted slightly and grumbled in his sleep.

Matsuri blinked and frowned before once again moving her hand out towards them, and this time, a bit more forcefully, poked him in the chest. Immediately blue eyes shot open and the boy sat up, glaring at her and making her jump. His eyes hardened once they saw her, and she stared back at him with wide, surprised eyes.

"What?" he snapped. Matsuri jumped a bit and pointed towards the school, then motioned to him. The boy continued to glare at her.

"Leave me alone," he growled, before getting up and leaving, grabbing his bag at the last second as he started in the opposite direction of the school. Matsuri frowned after him before turning back to the direction of the school and hesitantly continuing on, her mind going once again to the thought of her lunch… friends, and the past of that strange red- haired boy.

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><p>The entire gang sat once again in the grass at lunch, a buzz of conversation going on. Shikamaru glanced at Temari and noticed her eyebrows were furrowed in worry as she stared at the ground, her mind somewhere else. He nudged her a bit.<p>

"Are you alright?" he muttered. Temari glanced at him and sighed.

"Yeah, just… worried." Sakura overheard this and frowned.

"About what?" All attention turned to Temari, and she sighed again.

"It's just, my younger brother isn't at school today," she explained, frowning again, "He's kind of… troubled, and he doesn't usually skip school unless…" She didn't finish, and the others didn't pry; they all knew somewhat what 'troubled' could mean.

"Hey, you're brother's a freshman here, right?" Kiba asked, and Temari nodded. Naruto frowned.

"Really? What does he look like?" Temari shrugged.

"Blue eyes, pale, red hair… he's usually wearing black or brown, for some reason…" No one seemed to notice Matsuri's eyes widen. Naruto's face turned thoughtful.

"Huh. I think I ran into him once. What's his name?"

"Gaara." Matsuri's mind drifted again to the boy from the hallway and the bench. _Gaara. _It fit him. It was quiet for a while before another conversation started up, and everyone relaxed a bit. Naruto turned to the small girl at his side to ask her something when he stopped and frowned.

Hinata had her arms wrapped around her knees, her eyes staring worriedly at the ground as if she were thinking of something else. He nudged her and she jumped, turning to him with wide eyes, those beautiful, wintery eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked concernedly, his sparkling cerulean eyes boring into hers. Hinata's face turned pink a bit and she nodded her eyes dropping.

"Yes, N-Naruto… I was j-just thinking…" Naruto continued to frown at her for a second before turning away, decided not to pry any further, but he did lay his hand over hers, to which she responded by leaning slightly on his side. Naruto's eyes softened. _You know and helped me with my past, Hinata. Now I will do anything to help you with yours. I promise._

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><p><strong>Soooooooo? Ya like? :D Any suggestions are welcome! :) :(: bipolar ^^ ... I really need to get some sleep... Anyhoosers!,,,,,,,,,,,, you shall find out more about Gaara's past and Matsuri's past in the near future, my friends! Or will you? o.O Who knows? Oh yeah, not me ^^ umm... oh! If there's anyone you want to be in this, any characters that I either haven't put in yet or that were in the first and haven't been mentioned so far, let me know and I shall try to put them in! :D Alrighty then? See yaaaaaaaaaaa! :D :D :D :D :D:<strong>


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Naruto, Friendship, Romance